Credit: Audi

MUNICH—Later this summer, Audi will unveil its new flagship model. In the past, that role had been filled by the A8, but that was before SUVs found so much favor; even in Europe, a majority of car buyers now swing that way. But forget Europe for a moment. The new Q9 is Audi’s first full-size SUV, underscoring the importance of the North American market. Late in development, the company even redesigned the cupholders to fit those giant insulated mugs that briefly became a retail obsession.

We can only show this exterior-camouflaged Q9 for now, but the photos show the production interior. Or at least that’s one of the possible trims; if you want the interior to evoke more of an Endor or Tatooine feel rather than Mustafar, there are beiges and browns, including an interesting open-grain olive wood alternative to the coarse carbon fiber you see here. The mix of different textures really helps elevate the Q9’s interior, which leaves glossy finishes behind in favor of matte wherever possible.

The view up front was inspired by the way the brand’s 2021 Grandsphere concept wrapped its dash around front seat occupants. The Grandsphere didn’t have to rely on actually available technology, and it didn’t bother with screens for the future it was imagined for. The Q9 doesn’t have that luxury, but it does have acres of digital real estate. The main instrument display and infotainment screens curve around the driver, but they aren’t particularly tall, so you have a clear view down the hood over the interaction light that runs along the base of the windshield and provides an additional visual cue when you use your turn signals or hazard lights.

“When you close the car… what we wanted to create is it’s calming you down in a way and giving this kind of luxury approach that everything is controlled, everything’s floating, everything is quiet and everything is in its place,” explained Audi designer Chris Koelle.

Virtual Cockpit finds its mojo again

I was pleased to see that a moving map view is once again an option for the main instrument display. Audi pioneered this feature with its Virtual Cockpit, but it has been curiously missing from several recent models we’ve driven. Then again, it’s also present in the new Q3, which lives at the very other end of Audi’s SUV range. The Q3 and Q9 also share the same not-stalks that you use to turn on the turn signals and wipers (left side) and engage park/drive/reverse (right side). The action of using them to flick on the wipers or the lights is basically identical to a conventional stalk.

I’m a little less thrilled with the lack of many physical controls. The strip on the center console that includes the hazard lights is easy to use, and there’s a conventional twisty knob for the audio volume (that also lets you skip forward or back), but if you want to direct hot or cold air from the vents, you’ll need to use the screen to aim them.

Do twist that volume knob, though. We were given a demo of the Q9’s “4D” sound system, which was developed in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen. It combines 22 speakers with a low-frequency actuator under each front seat, adding a little buzz to the bass notes. That interaction light I mentioned earlier? It will even change color to match the cover art of whatever you’re listening to.

You can configure the Q9 with either six or seven seats—a bench or the two captain’s chairs you see in the photos. Everything is motorized. If you want access to the third row, the push of a button whirs the middle seat up and out of your way, then settles it back, leaving you a decent amount of legroom. (Like almost all third rows, it suffers from a too-high floor for your feet, however.)

More buttons fold the seats flat, either individually or all together, creating a cavernous lay-flat cargo area. Power-operated trunks and hatches are old hat at this point, but all the doors on the Q9 are power-actuated. From the inside, push the button and it whirs open for you; a very light push from the outside is a sufficient clue to the car to close the door again.

You’ll be able to see the rest of the Q9 on July 29, with the first cars arriving in the US in Q4 2026.